Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneerthought it scarcely worth his while to waste
much time on the old violin,but held it up with a smile; "What am
I bidden, good folks," he cried,"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar"; then two!"
"Onlytwo? Two dollars, and who'll make it
three? Three dollars, once; threedollars twice; going for three.." But
no, from the room, far back, agray-haired man came forward and picked up
the bow; Then, wiping the dustfrom the old violin, and tightening the loose
strings, he played a melody pure and sweet
as caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer, with
a voice that was quiet and low,said; "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.A thousand dollars, and who'll make it
two? Two thousand! And who'll makeit three? Three thousand, once, three thousand,
twice, and going and gone," said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand what changed
its worth." Swift came the reply: "The
touch of a master's hand."

And many a man with life out of tune, and
battered and scarred with sin,Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
much like the old violin, A "mess of
pottage," a glass of wine; a game -
and he travels on. "He isgoing" once, and "going twice,
He's going and almost gone." But
the Mastercomes, and the foolish crowd never can quite
understand the worth of a souland the change that's wrought by the
touch of the Master's hand.

It has been suggested to my wife by an alternative
medical practitioner that her varied gastrointestinal
symptoms may be the result of "leaky
gut." What is this?

A

Answer (Published 12/12/2005)

Leaky gut syndrome is not generally recognized
by conventional physicians, but evidence
is accumulating that it is a real condition
that affects the lining of the intestines.
The theory is that leaky gut syndrome (also
called increased intestinal permeability),
is the result of damage to the intestinal
lining, making it less able to protect the
internal environment as well as to filter
needed nutrients and other biological substances. As a consequence,
some bacteria and their toxins, incompletely
digested proteins and fats, and waste not
normally absorbed may "leak" out
of the intestines into the blood stream.
This triggers an autoimmune reaction, which
can lead to gastrointestinal problems such
as abdominal bloating, excessive gas and
cramps, fatigue, food sensitivities, joint
pain, skin rashes, and autoimmunity. The
cause of this syndrome may be chronic inflammation,
food sensitivity, damage from taking large
amounts of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDS), cytotoxic drugs and radiation
or certain antibiotics, excessive alcohol
consumption, or compromised immunity.

My colleague, pediatrician Sandy Newmark,
M.D., who deals with leaky gut syndrome in
children, tells me that it isn't clear
how many people have this disorder or exactly
what problems can be attributed to it. Dr.
Newmark says that it has been established
that a significant percentage of children
with autism have increased intestinal permeability,
but it isn't known whether this is a
cause or an effect of food sensitivities
and an underlying metabolic problem.

Some alternative medicine practitioners blame
such unrelated problems as migraines, bad breath and insomnia on leaky gut syndrome and recommend buying
home test kits purportedly capable of measuring
intestinal permeability. I doubt it. For
treatment, some of these practitioners recommend
an assortment of dietary supplements.

I would be wary of any diagnosis of leaky
gut syndrome if you don't have inflammatory
bowel conditions (Crohn's disease, celiac
disease, irritable bowel syndrome), rheumatoid arthritis, or asthma.

The leaky gut treatment I recommend involves
avoiding alcohol and NSAIDS as well as any
foods that you're allergic to. Make sure
you're eating plenty of fiber. Take Culturelle
or another probiotic supplement containing
Lactobacillus GG. I would also recommend eating an anti-inflammatory diet, including essential fatty acids like fish
oil and GLA. In addition, you might try supplementing
with glutamine, an amino acid that helps
maintain intestinal metabolism and function
and seems to benefit patients who have had
intestinal injury from chemotherapy and radiation.

Andrew Weil, M.D. .....

(Please click the red arrow to this text
and source)

“Tracey came to me with digestive problems.
She was suffering bloating, flatulence and
irregular, loose stools. She was diagnosed
with irritable bowel by her GP and leaky
gut by her naturopath. She spent a lot of
money on digestive enzymes, probiotics, glutamine
and also made significant dietary changes.
In fact, she was getting worse and noticed
that her eczema was breaking out more frequently.
The cause of her IBS and/or leaky gut was
due to an allergy to sulphur dioxide, a common
preservative..." ... this article is below ...

"Prescription broad spectrum antibiotics,
especially when taken for extended periods
of time, wipe out all the gut friendly bacteria
that provide protection against fungi and
amoebic (parasitic) infections, help the
body break down complex foods and synthesize
vitamins like B12 and biotin. Since this
friendly bowel flora is killed off, the body
now has no local defence against the parasites
or fungi that are normally held in check.
This then causes an inflammatory reactio..." ... see this below ...

"...leaky gut syndrome is almost always
associated with autoimmune disease and reversing
autoimmune disease depends on healing the
lining of the gastrointestinal tract. Any
other treatment is just symptom suppression..." ... see this below ...

"... some bacteria and their toxins,
incompletely digested proteins and fats,
and waste not normally absorbed may "leak"
out of the intestines into the blood stream.
This triggers an autoimmune reaction, which
can lead to gastrointestinal problems such
as abdominal bloating, excessive gas and
cramps, fatigue, food sensitivities, joint
pain, skin rashes, and autoimmunity..."
this article below...

Altered Immunity & Leaky Gut Syndrome

by Zoltan P. Rona M.D., MSc

The leaky gut syndrome is the name given
to a very common health disorder in which
the basic organic defect (lesion) is an intestinal
lining which is more permeable (porous) than
normal. The abnormally large spaces present
between the cells of the gut wall allow the
entry of toxic material into the bloodstream
that would, in healthier circumstances, be
repelled and eliminated.

The gut becomes leaky in the sense that bacteria,
fungi, parasites and their toxins, undigested
protein, fat and waste normally not absorbed
into the bloodstream in the healthy state,
pass through a damaged, hyperpermeable, porous
or "leaky" gut. This can be verified by special gut permeability
urine tests, microscopic examination of the
lining of the intestinal wall as well as
the bloodstream with phase contrast or darkfield
microscopy of living whole blood.

Why is The Leaky Gut Syndrome Important?

The leaky gut syndrome is almost always associated
with autoimmune disease and reversing autoimmune
disease depends on healing the lining of
the gastrointestinal tract. Any other treatment
is just symptom suppression. An autoimmune
disease is defined as one in which the immune
system makes antibodies against its own tissues.
Diseases in this category include lupus,
alopecia areata, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia
rheumatica, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia,
chronic fatigue syndrome, Sjogren’s
syndrome, vitiligo, thyroiditis, vasculitis,
Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis,
urticaria (hives), diabetes and Raynaud’s
disease. Physicians are increasingly recognizing
the importance of the gastrointestinal tract
in the development of allergic or autoimmune
disease. Understanding the leaky gut phenomenon
not only helps us see why allergies and autoimmune
diseases develop but also helps us with safe
and effective therapies to bring the body
back into balance.

Due to the enlarged spaces between the cells
of the gut wall, larger than usual protein
molecules are absorbed before they have a
chance to be completely broken down as occurs
when the intestinal lining is intact. The
immune system starts making antibodies against
these larger molecules because it recognizes
them as foreign, invading substances. The
immune system starts treating them as if
they had to be destroyed. Antibodies are
made against these proteins derived from
previously harmless foods.

Human tissues have antigenic sites very similar
to those on foods, bacteria, parasites, candida
or fungi. The antibodies created by the leaky
gut phenomenon against these antigens can
get into various tissues and trigger an inflammatory
reaction when the corresponding food is consumed
or the microbe is encountered. Autoantibodies
are thus created and inflammation becomes
chronic. If this inflammation occurs in a
joint, autoimmune arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis)
develops. If it occurs in the brain, myalgic
encephalomyelitis (a.k.a. chronic fatigue
syndrome) may be the result. If it occurs
in the blood vessels, vasculitis (inflammation
of the blood vessels) is the resulting autoimmune
problem.

If the antibodies end up attacking the lining
of the gut itself, the result may be colitis
or Crohn’s disease. If it occurs in the lungs, asthma is triggered
on a delayed basis every time the individual
consumes the food which triggered the production
of the antibodies in the first place. It
is easy to see that practically any organ
or body tissue can become affected by food
allergies created by the leaky gut. Symptoms,
especially those seen in conditions such
as chronic fatigue syndrome, can be multiple and severely debilitating.

The inflammation that causes the leaky gut
syndrome also damages the protective coating
of antibodies of the IgA family normally
present in a healthy gut. Since IgA helps
us ward off infections, with leaky gut problems
we become less resistant to viruses, bacteria,
parasites and candida. These microbes are
then able to invade the bloodstream and colonize
almost any body tissue or organ. When this
occurs in the gums, periodontal disease results.
If it happens in the jaw, tooth extraction
or root canals might be necessary to cure
the infection.

In addition to the creation of food allergies
by the leaky gut, the bloodstream is invaded
by bacteria, fungi and parasites that, in
the healthy state, would not penetrate the
protective barrier of the gut. These microbes
and their toxins, if present in large enough
amounts, can overwhelm the liver’s
ability to detoxify. This results in symptoms
such as confusion, memory loss, brain fog
or facial swelling when the individual is
exposed to a perfume or to cigarette smoke
that he or she had no adverse reactions to
prior to the development of the leaky gut
syndrome.

Leaky gut syndrome also creates a long list
of mineral deficiencies because the various
carrier proteins present in the gastrointestinal
tract that are needed to transport minerals
from the intestine to the blood are damaged
by the inflammation process. For example, magnesium deficiency (low red
blood cell magnesium) is quite a common finding
in conditions like fibromyalgia despite a
high magnesium intake through the diet and
supplementation. If the carrier protein for
magnesium is damaged, magnesium deficiency
develops as a result of malabsorption. Muscle
pain and spasms can occur as a result. Similarly, zinc deficiency
due to malabsorption can result in hair loss
or baldness as occurs in alopecia areata.
Copper deficiency can occur in an identical
way leading to high blood cholesterol levels
and osteoarthritis. Further, bone problems
develop as a result of the malabsorption
of calcium, boron, silicon and manganese.

The Causes

The leaky gut syndrome is basically caused
by inflammation of the gut lining. This inflammation
is usually brought about by the following:

Antibiotics because they lead to the overgrowth
of abnormal flora in the gastrointestinal
tract (bacteria, parasites, candida, fungi)
· Alcohol and caffeine (strong gut
irritants)

Prescription hormones like the birth control
pill Mold and fungal mycotoxins in stored
grains, fruit and refined carbohydrates.

The leaky gut syndrome can cause the malabsorption
of many important micronutrients. The inflammatory
process causes swelling (edema) and the presence
of many noxious chemicals all of which can
block the absorption of vitamins and essential
amino acids. A leaky gut does not absorb
nutrients properly. Bloating, gas and cramps
occur as do a long list of vitamin and mineral
deficiencies. Eventually, systemic complaints
like fatigue, headaches, memory loss, poor
concentration or irritability develop.

Prescription broad spectrum antibiotics,
especially when taken for extended periods
of time, wipe out all the gut friendly bacteria
that provide protection against fungi and
amoebic (parasitic) infections, help the
body break down complex foods and synthesize
vitamins like B12 and biotin. Since this
friendly bowel flora is killed off, the body
now has no local defence against the parasites
or fungi that are normally held in check.
This then causes an inflammatory reaction
leading to the leaky gut syndrome. Food allergies quickly develop and these
may trigger the signs and symptoms of arthritis,
eczema, migraines, asthma or other forms
of immune dysfunction. Other common symptoms
of this bowel flora imbalance and leaky gut
syndrome are bloating and gas after meals
and alternating constipation with diarrhea.
This set of symptoms is usually labelled
as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or spastic bowel
disease and treated symptomatically by general
practitioners and gastroenterologists with
antispasmodic drugs, tranquilizers or different
types of soluble (psyllium) and insoluble
(bran) fiber.

The Leaky Gut and IBS

The mainstream thinking on IBS is that it is caused by stress. Irritable
bowel syndrome is the number one reason for
general practitioner referrals to specialists.
In well over 80% of the cases, tests like
the intestinal permeability test (a special
urine test involving the determination of
absorption rates of two sugars called lactulose
and mannitol), CDSA or livecell darkfield microscopy reveal
the presence of an overgrowth of fungi, parasites
or pathogenic bacteria. The one-celled parasite, blastocystis hominis
and different species of candida are the
most common microbes seen in IBS. The only
stress associated with IBS is that which is generated by infection
and the leaky gut syndrome. If allowed to
persist without the correct treatment, IBS can progress into more serious disorders
like the candidiasis syndrome, multiple chemical
sensitivities, chronic fatigue syndrome,
many autoimmune diseases and even cancer.
If treated medically, IBS is rarely cured. To treat it correctly,
natural treatments work best and must include
the removal of the cause, improvement of
gastrointestinal function and healing the
lining of the gut.

How to Reverse Leaky Gut Syndrome

Band-aid treatments with corticosteroids,
prescription antibiotics and immuno suppressive
drugs may be temporarily life-saving for
acute episodes of pain, bleeding or severe
inflammation as occurs in lupus or colitis.
In the long run, however, none of these treatments
do anything to heal the leaky gut problem.
To reverse the leaky gut syndrome the diet
must be completely changed to one which is
as hypoallergenic as possible. Sugar, white
flour products, all gluten-containing grains
(especially wheat, barley, oats and rye),
milk and dairy products, high fat foods,
caffeine products, alcohol and hidden food
allergies determined by testing must all
be eliminated for long periods of time (several
years in the most severe cases).

Treatment might also include the use of natural
antibiotics (echinacea, colloidal silver,
garlic), antiparasitics (cloves, wormwood,
black walnut) and antifungals (taheebo, caprylic
acid, grapefruit seed extract) depending
on the type of infection which shows up on
objective tests. It is rare that victims
require prescription drugs for these infections
and they should be discouraged. The drugs
are usually expensive, have unpleasant side
effects and are best reserved for life-threatening
conditions.

Leaky gut syndrome patients can help themselves
by chewing their food more thoroughly, following
the basic rules of food combining, eating
frequent small meals rather than three large
ones and taking more time with their meals.
Gastrointestinal function can be improved
with a juice fast or a hypoallergenic diet
and supplements like lactobacillus acidophilus
and bifidus as well as FOS (fructooligosaccharides) derived from Jerusalem
artichoke, chicory, the dahlia plant or burdock
root.

Due to the increasing recognition of chronic
fatigue syndrome, the leaky gut syndrome
and multiple chemical sensitivity, a number
of supplement companies have been marketing
powdered hypoallergenic formulations containing
most of the nutrients mentioned above in
one convenient package. Some brand names include Ultrabalance®, UltraClear Sustain®,
UltraClear Plus®, Pro-Cleanse®, Pro-Support®
and ActiClear®. The products are only
available through natural health care practitioners
like chiropractors, nutritional doctors and
naturopaths. If you suspect you may be suffering
from leaky gut syndrome, the most important
thing to do is get yourself tested by a natural
health care practitioner. A personalized
natural program of diet and supplements can
then be instituted to help you reverse this
debilitating condition.

Are you one of the thousands diagnosed with
“leaky gut syndrome”. Every time
a client comes with this diagnosis (along
with their long list of supplements they
have been told to take) I have to count to
ten. Leaky gut is synonymous with irritable
bowel for the symptoms it generally presents
with. It’s an umbrella term for a group
of ailments that may beset the gut. It’s
not a diagnosis, it’s a term, and as
the causes may be manyfold then treatment
can be a bit hit and miss.

“Leaky” simply means that the
gut appears to be more permeable to undigested
foods. This will happen if your diet
is so poor in quality or if you’re
under so much stress that the gut can’t
regenerate itself, which it needs to do every
3 to 4 days, or if you have inflammation
at the gut. Inflammation can be caused by pathogens,
including candida, parasite and nasty bacteria,
food allergy where histamine is released
which makes the gut permeable, or food intolerance,
such as in gluten sensitivity, which induces
an inflammatory reaction. So it’s a
mine-field finding out exactly what the problem
may be. If you can pin-point the problem,
then the gut can usually fix itself very
quickly without medications, unless there
is infection from on-going conditions such
as diverticulitis.

“Tracey came to me with digestive problems.
She was suffering bloating, flatulence and
irregular, loose stools. She was diagnosed
with irritable bowel by her GP and leaky
gut by her naturopath. She spent a lot of
money on digestive enzymes, probiotics, glutamine
and also made significant dietary changes.
In fact, she was getting worse and noticed
that her eczema was breaking out more frequently.
The cause of her IBS and/or leaky gut was
due to an allergy to sulphur dioxide, a common
preservative. Once foods containing this
were removed, Tracey’s digestive problems
resolved without taking any products.”

The other problem I see is when patients
have had expensive tests to find out which
of the 300 or so foods (sorry if this is
an exaggeration) they may be intolerant to.
They receive a print-out and discover that
the foods they are intolerant to are exactly
the foods that they are most fond of.

So they faithfully follow the guidelines
and have another expensive test done 3 months
later to discover that they are no longer
intolerant to the original foods, but now
to a new set of foods – the ones they
are currently consuming. It doesn’t
make sense.

This is because the main culprit or irritant
is probably still there, and you are simply
leaking this new set of foods into the system,
which may also give symptoms. The trick is
to identify the main culprit, and once you
remove this you will find that the gut will
heal fairly rapidly, and the foods you thought
you were intolerant to, suddenly don’t
give any problems.

I have had patients that have suffered bloating
and gas with carbohydrates, especially juices.
This can happen, but in many cases, it may
not be the juices they can’t digest,
but there exists another problem with another
food. Wheat can be a major culprit and therefore
if you have a problem this should be the
first thing you remove (and possibly oats,
rye and barley), and if you have mucus build-up
with dairy then remove this also. The food
additives will tend to aggravate the liver
detoxification pathways up (as they did in
the case of Tracey) and this can lead to
symptoms of food allergy in the rest of the
body – so having a clean, unprocessed
diet is also a must. This means no bottles
or cans of anything that contains preservatives,
colourings or flavourings!

If your problem still exists then you may
need help – but try this first as you
may save yourself a lot of time and money.

Dietary Healing, the complete detox will offer you a complete program for dealing
with chronic conditions, and there is an
excellent discussion on food allergy and
intolerance.